The Treasury of Lives

Yakton Sanggye Pel (g.yag ston sangs rgyas dpal, 1348-1414) was a great master of the Sakya tradition and the first in the line of men known as the Six Great Ornaments of Tibet. He was born in Trang ('phrang). His father's name was Tsetang Chenpo Changchub Rinchen (rtse thang chen po byang chub rin chen). The Blue Annals also suggests the name by which Sanggye Pel is known came from an attendant called Yak Yu (g.yag yu) who took care of him when he was a boy.

His early education took place at Sangpu Monastery (gsang phu) monastery, where he studied Buton's (bu ston, 1285-1379) commentary on the Prajñāpāramitā and was praised for his skill in memorization. His root teacher was Kunga Pel (kun dga' dpal, 1285-1379), the tenth abbot of Jonang Monastery (jo nang dgon). 

Sanggye Pel became a prominent teacher in U and Tsang, renowned for his teachings on Prajñāpāramitā. Among the Six Ornaments of Tibet, who were known for their different strengths in teaching, he is known for masterful teachings on the Sutras. Sanggye Pel's main disciple and eventual successor at Sakya was the renowned scholar Rongton Sheja Kunrik (rong ston shes bya kun rig, 1367-1449). Sanggye Pel primarily taught Rongton the Prajñāpāramitā scriptures and treatises on logic and epistemology. Sanggye Pel's prominent students also included Zhonnu Lodro (gzhon nu blo gros, 1349-1412), Konchok Gyeltsen (dkon mchog rgyal mtshan, 1388-1469), Zhonnu Gyelchok (gzhon nu rgyal mchog, d.u.), Sherab Sengge (shes rab seng ge, 1383-1445), and Kunga Gyeltsen (kun dga' rgyal mtshan, 1382-1446).

Sanggye Pel was the author of a work known as theYaktik, an abbreviation of The Commentry of Yakton, Brilliant Splendor (g.yag tik rigs pa'i 'od stong 'phro ba) a commentary on Sakya Paṇḍita's (sa skya paN Dita) famous Treasure on the Science of Valid Cognition (tshad ma rigs gter). This work of Sanggye Pel's helped clarify and draw attention to Sakya Paṇḍita's text, which had been considered problematic and perhaps undervalued by earlier scholars. He also composed a famous eight-volume commentary on the Abhisamayālaṃkāra called the The Precious Wish-Granting King (rin chen bsam 'phel dbang rgyal). Sanggye Pel was particularly instrumental in the transmission of the Abhidharmakośa and Pramāṇa-samuccaya in Tibet. He also taught on Madhyamaka and Dharmakirti's Pramāṇavārttika.

Yakton Sanggye Pel passed away in 1414. Several relics are said to have remained after the cremation of his remains.